YUBA CITY — The yesteryear setting of Winship Field in this entertainment-starved agricultural town reminds fans of the way baseball used to be.

On Friday night, Davis High coach Dan Ariola’s troops hoped to make the assembled Blue Devil faithful forget how this traditional series had been going.

Not since March 4, 2006, when DHS beat Yuba City, 13-0, had the locals prevailed in this annual road game.

The Devils had dropped five straight to the Honkers.

Enter Chris Gnos …

The Davis outfielder smacked his first varsity roundtripper in the fifth inning, then added a two-out, two-run double in the sixth as the Blue Devils cruised to an 8-4 victory at the 60-year-old ballpark.

“It was nice to see the offense get going early,” Ariola said afterward. “It was nice to see Gnos break out, too.”

DHS, in a split of games with Woodland and Vacaville to start the season, had not scored in either contest until the fifth inning.

On Friday, a big second frame set the tone.

With one out, Patric Kreidler walked and went to second on a groundout. John Ariola singled home Kreidler, then immediately swiped second.

After Chris Daunt was hit with a pitch, George Hatamiya doubled down the left-field line, plating both Ariola and Daunt.

In the fourth, Hatamiya walked, went to third when a fourth pick-off attempt sailed down the right-field line and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Gnos’ fifth-inning homer to dead center put Davis ahead 5-3.

As winning pitcher Jack Shelledy ran low on fuel (he faced one hitter in the bottom of the fifth), lefty Reinert Toft came out of the pen and helped run Shelledy’s record to 2-0. It marked Toft’s second save.

Shelledy fanned three while allowing five hits and all four runs. Toft whiffed five and surrendered two hits.

DHS broke things open in the sixth with another two-out rally: Ariola singled with one out, Hatamiya walked and Joe Murray was hit by a pitch.

When Gnos doubled, Ariola and Hatamiya flew home. Murray scored on another wild pitch.

“Keys? All the two-out hits were just great. And Jack threw well again,” coach Ariola said. “They got some innings going, but we kept the damage to a minimum.”

The Devils topped Honker ace Chandler Eden. Both teams are 2-1.

Davis entertains Napa at home on Tuesday (4 p.m.). Ariola isn’t sure if his starter will be Toft or Matt Trask. On Friday, the Blue Devils play at Raley Field in what has become an annual meeting with Jesuit. Game time under the lights is 6:30 p.m.

Notes: 2009 DHS grad Cody Keefer is hitting .364 for UCLA. The Bruins are 11-3 and are in the throes of a three-game series at Georgia. Outfielder Keefer suits up again Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. contest vs. USC at Dodger Stadium. Keefer and his colleagues will see former Davis standout Ethan Guevin and Cal in Berkeley May 18-20. Guevin (Class of 2005) is a graduate assistant at Cal. … After having one coach for two decades in Jim Stassi (through 2009), Honker first-year skipper Dave Rodriguez is the third Yuba City coach in three springs. … From 2007-2010, YCHS won four straight Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championships, thanks to a family affair of dad Jim and sons Max (’07-08), Jake (’07-10) and Brock (’07). Catcher Max, drafted by Oakland the same year Keefer was drafted by Detroit, is again in A’s camp battling shoulder problems. He’s appeared in one game, going 0-for-2.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.

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DHS senior Chris Gnos hits a home run as part of his 3-for-4 performance on Friday at Yuba City. The Blue Devils defeated the Honkers, 8-4. Mark Martin/Courtesy photo

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